Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/202

 j 86 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 64. attachment. The sentimental portion of the message was thus mixed more strongly ; the practical portion was equally weakened. She now said that under no circumstances would she agree to go to war, or ' give aid against Spain except underhand and indirectly.' In the first message she was to be extricated from the marriage at all hazards ; in the second she preferred marriage to war, and if ' it appeared that she was to be left alone without aid, subject to the malice of Spain, not free from the evil neighbourhood of Scotland, and uncertain of the good-will of the French King or his brother, or both/ then she allowed Walsingham ' to renew some speech of the matter of marriage.' ' If it could be ob- tained that the Duke should prosecute his enterprise without open appearance that England should give him aid, so as English subjects should not think themselves burdened in consequence of the marriage,' he was to say that ' then her Majesty would not think but the marriage should content both her and her realm.' ' She could be content to promise to marry, and that without unneces- sary delay, according to the treaty already made, if the French King and his brother would devise how she should not be brought into a war.' 1 Orders so contradictory, following so close one upon the other, would in themselves have been sufficient to madden the minister that was to act upon them ; but twice more, before Walsingham could depart, the pen- dulum of Elizabeth's resolution swung from extreme to 1 Instructions to Sir Francis Walsingham, July 21 ; Second in- structions, July 22 : MSS. France.